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Raptors shock injury-depleted Rockets
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-22 13:49
HOUSTON - Morris Peterson scored 18 points and shut down Tracy McGrady to
lead the Toronto Raptors to a 94-81 win over the injury-depleted Houston Rockets
on Wednesday night.
Raptors' Chris Bosh
(L) takes a one hand jump shot over Houston Rockets' Juwan Howard in the
first quarter of their NBA game in Houston, December 21, 2005.
[Reuters] | The 6-foot-7 Peterson also had five
rebounds and seven assists, but he was at his best blanketing McGrady, who
scored only seven points on 2-of-11 shooting after averaging 27 in Houston's
previous nine games.
Former Rocket Mike James, traded to Toronto in October, scored 19 and Chris
Bosh had 17 for the Raptors, who won for the fifth time in six December road
games.
Juwan Howard scored 21 and rookie Luther Head had 20 for the Rockets, who
lost for just the third time in 10 games.
McGrady had a season-high 11 assists, but could've had twice that number if
his teammates had hit more open shots �� the Rockets went 5 for 21 from 3-point
range (24 percent).
Peterson shadowed McGrady wherever he went and whenever the five-time
All-Star touched the ball, Peterson and another Raptor double-teamed him.
And with no Yao Ming and only nine healthy players, Houston didn't have
enough answers.
Yao is out at least six weeks after surgery on his infected left big toe.
Houston also played without Yao's backup, Dikembe Mutombo (dislocated right
middle finger), and guards Derek Anderson (calf strain), Jon Barry (calf strain)
and Rafer Alston (fractured fibula).
The Rockets missed 9 of their first 12 shots and trailed from the opening
minutes.
McGrady and Howard scored 14 of Houston's first 16 points, but the
more-balanced Raptors built a nine-point lead in the opening quarter.
Head and Moochie Norris, pressed into more playing time because of injuries
to other Houston guards, helped the Rockets cut the lead to five by halftime.
Together, they had 17 points in the second quarter and Head sank a 3-pointer in
the half's final minute to trim Houston's deficit to 48-43.
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